The first polls in the midterm elections in the USA are expected to close at 18:00 local time (02:00 GMT) in the states of Indiana and Kentucky.
After Kentucky, each state will end voting at its own time. Due to the time difference, the last polls are expected to close in the state of Alaska on November 4, at 01:00 local time (09:00 GMT).
US MID-METER ELECTIONS
The American people vote to determine all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate, as well as governorships and other local positions in their states.
In the US electoral system, all members of the 435-seat House of Representatives go to the polls every two years, once in the general election in which the US president is elected and the other in the midterm elections.
In the 100-member Senate wing of Congress, one-third of the senators are elected for a 6-year term and are renewed every two years.
While Republicans hold the majority with 53 seats in the 100-member Senate, Democrats have a total of 47 seats, including 2 independents acting with them.
According to this table, Democrats need to gain a net 4 seats from Republicans in order to gain the majority in the Senate.
Senate elections are followed closely, especially in states such as Georgia, Michigan, Maine, Alaska, North Carolina, Ohio and Iowa.
While Democrats will try to protect their seats in Georgia and Michigan, won by Trump, in the 2024 presidential elections, Republicans will try to protect their seats in Maine, won by Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
The Senate has a special importance for the presidential administration due to its powers such as the approval of federal judges and senior administration officials, including the Supreme Court, and the evaluation of international agreements.
However, obtaining a majority in the Senate is not sufficient for the adoption of every bill. Many regulations require the support of 60 senators to end debate.
Since it is difficult to reach 60 senators, sometimes even a single senator can delay a legislative process by speaking at the podium for a long time, with this method called "filibuster" in the American political system.
Although elections in the USA are held at the federal level, voting and vote counting processes are largely carried out by the states.
Voters can vote by going to the polls on election day, by early voting or by mail, within the framework of the rules determined by their state.
In some states, voters are automatically sent a mail-in ballot, while in others, voters must apply to vote by mail.
Requiring identification to vote, voter registration periods, and deadlines for accepting mail ballots also vary by state.
In particular, two of Trump's most important complaints about the election system, "voting by mail" and "voting without having to show an ID card" processes, are still being discussed by the American public.
Since there is no single ballot box closing time across the USA, the results start arriving at different times from the east to the west of the country.
Especially in states where the vote difference is small, it may take a few days for the final results to be announced due to the counting of postal votes and objection processes.
Participation in this year's Congressional midterm elections is expected to be high, like other recent elections. In particular, indicators that the political and sociological gap between those who support and oppose Trump are widening, directing more voters to go to the polls.
According to the latest analysis reflected in the US media, more than 43 million voters in 47 states and the capital Washington have voted early or sent their votes by mail.
This number indicates an increase of approximately 10 million people compared to the same period of the 2022 midterm elections.
